Dance, from my point of view, is the rhythmic pulse of life, the outlining of the human body, and the visualization of time and space, an art that unfolds softly and smoothly like silk. The free postures of Isadora Duncan dancing in a silk tunic and the humorous, forceful, and utterly emotional dance steps of Pina Bausch both inspired me to explore experimental theater, the space between performance and dance.

As enormous remains of ancient camphor wood entangled with silk were laid in the lobby of the Power Station of Art (PSA), Shanghai, the idea of the performance "Sit in Meditation", which was conceived nearly two decades ago, reawakened: silkworm sand enclosing cocoon-like ancient wood, in the midst of which a human lies quietly. From yun gen, the silkworm-human wriggles, struggles, enters nirvana, transforms, turns into a butterfly, hatches from the cocoon, and slowly steps towards the sky. Silkworm sand, brown particles that cover the ground, is a highlight of this exhibition. It carries the signs of sand, human footprints, silkworms spitting silk—∞ and clouds, whose mixture forms a grand sacrifice to Earth and a ceremony of homecoming. Silkworm sand, a waste product of silkworms’ life cycle, is valued by traditional Chinese medicine as an herb with the effect of expelling heat. The paradox echoes with the thought-provoking Taoist proverb—"The Way is also in the feces."

Chemistry happens between creative minds. Wan Sheng, an outstanding dancer, encountered the ancient wood during a visit to PSA. The artwork miraculously gave her inspirations of dance and an impulse of interacting with it. Therefore, a joint endeavor began naturally. Letting her imagination run wild, she choreographed a three-chapter solo dance consisting of "Dasein", "Sit in Mediation", and "Transformation”. On the night of February 10, Ms. Wan presented the first chapter of the dance in person. She was so devoted to her performance, as if she had forgotten both the external and internal worlds. The vividly-played silkworm-human toured, adventured and entertained itself in the ruins of history and present, providing a novel interpretation for Heavy Clouds and marking a new climax for "A Silky Entanglement".

Liang Shaoji
March 16, 2022


Sit in Meditation
Experimental dance project
2022

Conception & Installation: Liang Shaoji
Choreograph & Performance: Wan Sheng
Costume: Li Qing
Music: Yang Hua
Co-ordination: Zhang Lili